


Let the Chips Fall

by Versus Caelum (PKAquaFlame)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Character Death, Nuzlocke Challenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2020-07-09 02:29:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19880107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PKAquaFlame/pseuds/Versus%20Caelum
Summary: To Hilbert, everything about being a Trainer is a matter of luck. From the moment you meet your first Pokemon, whether you'll make it to the League or not is based on chance.That philosophy will be put to the test between the rise of Team Plasma and the self-imposed rule that he agreed to.( a series of snippets chronicling my recent Nuzlocke run of Pokemon Black. )





	1. Luck Be a Lady

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I've been keeping track of my current Black Nuzlocke on tumblr, and I thought it'd be fun to post some drabbles/notes here, and maybe expand on some aspects of the story (since I haven't played Black in ages, and it made me remember how much I loved Gen V when it came out). 
> 
> There'll be like five blurbs/drabbles in each chapter, and maybe a full-fledged chapter every so often. I haven't decided there. 
> 
> With all that said, let's get started!

* * *

Cheren's logic was pretty sound; since Professor Juniper delivered the package to Hilbert's house, he should be the one to get first choice. 

Still, Hilbert was not pleased. He was almost _certain_ that Professor Juniper did that on purpose. If it wasn't her, then it had to have been Cheren. He was known to be pretty indecisive, after all. Maybe a bit reckless - maybe she did this to make him stop and think about what he was doing before making his decision.

There would come a day where he would have to consider his choices, but it would not be this day.

Taking a pair of dice out of his pocket, Hilbert devised a plan: _If I get a one to a four, I'll pick Snivy. Five to eight will land me with Tepig. And if I get a nine to a twelve, I'm getting Oshawott._

He tossed the dice onto the table. The three teenagers watched as the dice landed on a four...and a five. With a grin, Hilbert went right towards the PokeBall holding Oshawott. 

It didn't take long for Hilbert to be happy with how things turned out. Bianca seemed like she was having fun with Tepig, and Cheren seemed to be synchronized with Snivy already. 

And that wasn't even getting into how he just _clicked_ with Oshawott. It could have been the excitement of having their first battles, but Hilbert was almost certain that he wouldn't have any other partner if he could pick.

* * *

As the day went on, Hilbert would discover that his starter Pokemon was actually _pretty fucking amazing._

While she may be quick to fight, she was overall a happy little Oshawott. Playful and energetic, a near perfect fit for a trainer like Hilbert. While her movements were a little clumsy and ungraceful, that could be attributed to her being quite young. Professor Juniper assured him that she would grow into a fast physical sweeper; her jolly nature would indicate as much.

The fact that Oshawott was female didn't escape Hilbert's notice either. Purely because that made her a sort of rarity; female starter Pokemon were much rarer than males. There was about a twelve percent chance for one to be female, and he had gotten one with a simple roll of the dice! He'd be lying if he said that didn't give him a lot of satisfaction with his decision.

When asked what they were going to name their Pokemon, Hilbert gave Oshawott the first name that came to mind; Michelle. 

* * *

As Hilbert would have expected, Cheren wasn't happy. Not with the fact that he ended up with Snivy - the starter he wanted - or the fact that they had to wait this long for Bianca again. 

No, he was dwelling on the fact that Hilbert left his starter decision to luck. Part of the reason Cheren had insisted that Hilbert pick first was to actually force him to make a decision for once in his life, and Hilbert undid that with a simple roll of the dice! Where does he even _keep_ those things, anyway?! 

Even if the outcome was ideal, Cheren wasn't a fan of how it came about, and Hilbert was going to hear about it. 

That moment came as they were waiting for Bianca by the outskirts of town. She was probably getting ready to sneak out of her house - her father was notoriously protective of his only daughter, so Bianca had to be sneaky in order to be able to go on her journey. Perfect opportunity. 

“So, Hilbert.” 

“So, Cheren."

“I need to ask…why did you leave your starter decision to a dice roll?" Right to the point was the best way to handle this kind of thing, and Cheren delighted in how Hilbert groaned as a response. "You realize I insisted on having you pick first for a _reason,_ right?”

Hilbert huffed. “Well, you should have checked my pockets for dice first before insisting.”

_“Hilbert.”_

“Alright, fine! If you really wanna know, I'll tell you!" 

Hilbert hummed, as if taking a few moments to figure out how to best put it. 

“I figure…it’s all luck, right? The Pokemon you meet, the team you end up creating, whether you’re able to make it to the League - hell, even _surviving_ \- I think it all boils down to pure chance. Putting it that way, why _not_ leave the starter Pokemon to a roll of the dice? That way, it's about as random as the rest of the journey.” 

A moment of silence passed between the two of them before Cheren said, “Luck, huh…In that case, why don’t we raise the stakes?”

That _instantly_ caught Hilbert's attention. “I’m listening…”

“Why don’t we see how far you’ll get catching only the first Pokemon you see in a new area?"

"Only the first?" Hilbert repeated, carefully examining Cheren's face. Probably looking for any trace of a lie. "You're kidding."

"I'm dead serious. If you knock that Pokemon out, then you fail for that area and can’t catch anything until you go to the next area," Cheren countered. From how he had been listing these rules, one would assume that Cheren had actually thinking about this for a while now. "Duplicates don’t count, and shiny Pokemon are fair game - you’re free to catch those no matter what.”

“Why don’t you do the same?" Hilbert challenged, crossing his arms. "You put this much thought to these rules, so I can't have all the fun."

Cheren sighed. He hated to admit it, but Hilbert had a point. It wouldn't be fair to enforce a set of rules on someone and not go through it yourself. That's just common courtesy.

“…Fine. Whichever one of us makes it the furthest in the Gym Challenge wins - if one of us forfeits then the other wins by default.”

Hilbert stayed quiet for a few moment, before grinning and holding a hand out. “Alright. You got yourself a bet!" 

"Hilbert, I didn't-" But Bianca had arrived, and Cheren couldn't get the last word in before they set off. Should they tell her about the bet they just made? 

Then it hit him - he had just made a bet with _Hilbert._ Yes, he does tend to rely on his luck, but that's for good reason. Hilbert was one of the most outrageously lucky people that he had ever met. Not in the sense that he could win any cash prize he wanted, but in the sense that he seems to attract the unlikely. The starter Pokemon could be an example of that - Oshawott has a twelve percent chance of being female, and Hilbert got her on the roll of the dice! How did he do that?! 

And he was going up against him, in what is probably the most random challenge anyone could have ever thought up?

_Arceus, help him._

* * *

Hilbert had to admit, if that bet meant getting amazing Pokemon like this one, then he was all too happy with it. After all, he had always wanted a Lillipup. Pickup was an Arceus-send of an Ability, after all, and Stoutland was supposed to be a pretty versatile battler. And while it could be argued that Vital Spirit was the better ability for a Lillipup to have, the idea of having random items handed to you appealed to Hilbert very much.

However, Roger had Vital Spirit. You win some, you lose some. 

That wasn't to say that Roger was a bad Pokemon! He could definitely hold himself in a battle, and seemed to get along with Michelle pretty well. Hilbert supposed he couldn't afford to be picky about things like abilities. Especially with the bet that he and Cheren made. 

Overall? Not bad at all for his first-ever capture. 

* * *

N knew of Ghetsis' speeches through Unova, but this was his first time actually seeing him work. And honestly, it was an inspiration. The crowd's reaction to his words were mixed - some were purely skeptical, others seemed to be doubting. While it wasn't quite the result he had been hoping for, Ghetsis had told him to be patient. Change doesn't happen overnight - it happens with time, like a seed bursting into bloom. 

Frankly, N didn't _want_ to wait. A world where Pokemon got hurt - where they could _die_ fighting for their trainers - that was a world he didn't want to be a part of. If he could change it so that Pokemon wouldn't have to suffer anymore, he wanted to be able to do that as soon as possible. If only-

_"Hey, Osha- Michelle. What do you make of that?"_ The slip was what caught N's attention first, and he glanced over to see what it was. What he saw were an Oshawott and a Snivy, each of them perched on a human's shoulder. Their trainers, probably. Judging from what 'Michelle' was nearly called, it must be the Snivy that had spoken up. N knew that some trainers liked to give their Pokemon 'nicknames'. He never quite understood why; Pokemon didn't need any other name but their own. 

Oshawott gave a pout. _"I think it's silly! That Juniper lady always said that we help each other out."_

N would have mused on Professor Juniper (how she basically encourages everything he's against), but then Oshawott hugged her trainer's head and continued, _"Besides, I know we only met today, but I like Hilbert already. He's funny!"_

Hearing that, N was floored. He had never heard a Pokemon say that they actually liked their trainer. All of the Pokemon he had met were either used or abandoned by their trainers. This Oshawott was the first he had ever seen that was happy with their trainer. And she said they had only met _today?_

Ghetsis had said not to make himself known to anyone, but after hearing that...he just couldn't _not_ say something.

"Your Oshawott...just now, she said-"

That caught everyone's attention, particularly Snivy and Oshawott - both Pokemon nearly falling off their trainer's shoulders in shock. He knew that it was rare for a person to understand Pokemon the way he could, so he supposed shock would be understandable.

_"Did you just understand what we were saying?!"_ Snivy demanded. N nodded - no sense in lying now.

"Yes, I did. It's interesting-"

_"Oooh, that's so cool!!"_ Where Snivy was shocked at the revelation, Oshawott seemed to accept it with zeal. She jumped off her Trainer's shoulder and continued, _"Could you do me a favor and tell Hilbert - that's this guy over here - that I think he's really nice, and that he doesn't have to worry? And Roger - he's a Lillipup - thinks so too! He's in his PokeBall or he'd say so himself. And another thing-!"_

With every word Oshawott said, N was more and more intrigued. They only met today, and she already held this Hilbert in such high esteem? Pokemon didn't lie - he knew she meant it when she said she liked him, but hearing her talk only piqued his curiosity more and more. What kind of trainer _was_ he?

N barely noted the two trainers talking as he paid attention to Oshawott.

"Can he really understand them?"

"Well, Michelle seems to think so. Better to let her have her fun. I just hope she's saying good things about me!"

Hearing this, N stood to address the trainers. "So you can't hear their voices...that's a little sad. My name is N."

"I'm Cheren," Snivy's trainer introduced. "And this is-"

"Hilbert, right?"

Ignoring the brunet's shocked exclamation, N took out the PokeBall holding Purrloin. He didn't like the idea of forcing his friends to fight, but he knew of no other way to test Hilbert and his Pokemon. "Now then, Hilbert, I want to hear your Pokemon's voices again!"

Clearly Hilbert hadn't been expecting to be challenged so quickly, as his response was simply, "Oh, shoot - Michelle!" 

The battle went by quickly, and while N felt horrible that Purrloin had to go through that...he was curious. He never thought he could hear Pokemon say anything _good_ about the trainer that they were with. Hilbert was obviously an exception (if how he cheered on Oshawott, and then Lillipup was anything to go by). Maybe he could agree with N's ideals?

Only time would tell, he supposed.

* * *

**New Additions**

Michelle / Oshawott/ Female / Jolly / Quick-tempered / Torrent / Met in Nuvema Town

Roger / Lillipup / Male / Lax / Scatters things often / Vital Spirit / Met in Route 1


	2. Place Your Bets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just something to note; the only battles I actually took notes for in this Nuzlocke were Drayden, the final N battle, and Ghetsis. The reason for that is I focused more on the storyline side of things than anything else, and very rarely suffered a casualty during a Gym Leader battle. So I'll just put little summaries of what happened for each battle and move on from there.

* * *

While Hilbert wasn't too enthusiastic about this capture, he liked Purrloin even less. He was just not a cat person, plus he just had a bad history with a Purrloin trying to steal his stuff. He supposed this Patrat could be the lesser of the two evils, considering the other wild Pokemon that could be found in Route 2 was Lillipup (a Pokemon he already had).

These self-imposed rules were going to make things a little tougher than Hilbert had thought.

Jay seemed to enjoy teasing Michelle and watching her reactions. Roger seemed more unaffected by her quips and pranks, but that never stopped Jay from trying. In the more peaceful moments (between training sessions), there were moments that she would simply watch the sky with a faraway look on her face. Daydreaming, maybe? He didn't know that Patrat could...well, daydream. He always assumed they were all very alert and attentive to whatever they were doing. 

But no. Jay daydreamed. Who knew?

You learn something new every day.

* * *

A Pansear was a Fire-type. A Fire-type would complement Michelle _beautifully,_ because they could take down one of her biggest weaknesses.

Still, as he accepted the Pansear (who had been named Zero for some reason), something occurred to Hilbert. Would this count as his first encounter in the Dreamyard? Because he didn't outright catch Zero - this lady had called him over and explained how she needed to find homes for these Pokemon she found. How could he possibly say no to that?

Still, he needed to find Cheren. And so he turned around and headed back to Striaton - and Zero squirmed out of his arms to walk alongside him. Oh...did he not like being carried like that?

Hilbert would later find out that Zero wasn't one to mess around - he always gos straight to the point, be it in battle or making sure Hilbert would keep things moving. The only other member of the team that he seemed to approve of was Roger, having deemed Michelle too playful and Jay too harsh.

* * *

"Hey, Cheren! Check this out!" Cheren was pulled from his studying to find Hilbert approaching him, with a Pansear walking by his side. He knew that one of the Gym Leaders here had a Pansear, but why was it following Hilbert around? Unless Hilbert suddenly found one?

"...Is that a Pansear? You don't find those in the wild around here."

"Yeah, and I didn't," Hilbert admitted, shaking his head. "This lady in the Dreamyard gave me this little guy to complement Michelle."

Ah, that would explain why Pansear was there. It hit him then; he hadn't been to the Dreamyard yet. If that lady was still there and was willing to part with a Panpour...it was unlikely, but it was also worth a shot. 

...Of course, none of that explained why Hilbert was approaching him about this in the first place. Cheren could only guess, though.

"Let me guess; you're wondering if he'd count towards the rules of our bet?"

Hilbert nodded as he took the seat opposite of his. "We went over shinies and duplicates, but we never got into what would happen if someone outright _gave_ us a Pokemon."

"I _tried_ to, Hilbert," Cheren deadpanned. "I was cut off by Bianca arriving when we agreed on the bet and never got a chance."

"...Oh. Really?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry about that. I guess we were all a little excited to get going." At least Hilbert looked _somewhat_ embarrassed, and the sight caused Cheren to snort. 

"It's fine. I can't blame you, really." He had been excited too; the bet aside, he was excited to finally go on this path to being a trainer. And he had to admit, the rules made it a little more challenging. As much as he was dreading going up someone with HIlbert's luck, he found himself looking forward to the next area, and what he would meet next. "That said, it wouldn't be very fair to enforce a gift rule at this point, so you can still catch something in that route."

Hilbert seemed really happy with this answer, but Cheren held a hand up to indicate he wasn't done. "Now, do you know if that lady's still there?"

Hilbert examined his face for a few moments. "...You're hoping for a Panpour to complement your Snivy, aren't you?"

Cheren _really_ needed to keep in mind how sharp Hilbert could be sometimes. "Hush."

* * *

When all was said and done, getting the Trio Badge was a piece of cake. Zero got right down to business with the Pansear - getting right to the point by using an Incinerate. Between Zero incinerating the berries his opponents held and Jay use of Bide, Hilbert's victory was all but assured.

This would prove to be a much bigger challenge.

He knew that there were people out there who didn't care for the welfare of Pokemon; Professor Juniper had told them about how people would try to use Pokemon for their own benefit. That rally in Accumula Town had something to do with that, if memory served, but Hilbert never saw that he would see anything like it this soon in his journey.

And the uniforms they wore - they were the same outfits as the people in that rally! Team Plasma, wasn't it? How do you go from rallying for 'Pokemon liberation' to kicking a Munna for Dream Mist?

Bianca may be yelling at those Team Plasma Grunts for kicking the Munna, but Hilbert had a better idea. After all, it was clear that he wouldn’t be able to reason with them. He didn't know if these people really were in the rally or not, but if they were willing to go against the ideals they were supposed to be sticking up for, then what was the point of talking things through?

“Unlike _you_ two, we’re fighting for the freedom of Pokemon! And if that means winning Pokemon battles and taking them by-?!” As the Grunt talked, Hilbert walked over, grabbed the dude by the collar, and raised his fist.

**Hilbert used Sucker Punch!  
** **It’s super effective??**

He could hear surprised stammers coming from Plasma Boy’s companion, and a screech of _“Hilbert!”_ from Bianca, but it was _so_ worth it.

Working with Bianca to drive off the Plasma goons brought a bit of satisfaction too, but punching that guy... _man,_ that felt good. 

* * *

The Munna that got hurt by those Team Plasma goons had taken a shine to Bianca, and Hilbert couldn't help feeling just a little jealous. Munna were amazing Pokemon, but he knew that they were somewhat rarer than other wild Pokemon here. And since all he could see were Patrat and Purrloins, Hilbert had to resign himself to having to deal with one of those wretched cat Pokemon.

However, luck would be on Hilbert's side today. Not a moment after he walked into the grass, he felt a nudge on his back. A sensation that he would call _odd,_ because he didn't feel anything crawling up his back or anything like that. Did that mean something _floated_ over here...?

He turned around, and was overjoyed to see a Munna! He sort of...tossed the PokeBall at it from there, and thankfully the Munna was caught without any trouble.

Grinning, he let the Munna out of its PokeBall. It was odd how Munna seemed happy already - as if it wanted things to turn out this way. Hilbert had to wonder if Munna bumped into Hilbert on purpose.

Later on in his journey, Hilbert would find that this indeed was the case. After all, going with Hilbert meant the possibility of looking out for his little sister (who, as it turned out, was the Munna that took a shine to Bianca). Of course no other possibility would do (and besides, Merlot _really_ liked the fact that Hilbert punched the Plasma Grunt like that).

* * *

**_New Additions_ **

Jay / Patrat / Female / Sassy / Often lost in thought / Keen Eye / Met in Route 2

Zero / Pansear / Male / Serious / Good perseverance / Gluttony / Met in the Dreamyard (Gift Clause)

Merlot / Munna / Male / Modest / Very finicky / Synchronize / Met in the Dreamyard (Capture)


	3. Bump in the Road

* * *

Cheren had kicked himself for making that bet with Hilbert, but it was never properly established _why_ these rules would add more of a challenge to their journey.

Catching only the first Pokemon you see in a new area was almost unheard of for a trainer, and it wouldn't help at all when it comes to filling up the PokeDex (not that Cheren was much interested in filling it up _anyway_ ). It was common knowledge that catching as many Pokemon as you can would be beneficial when you have a PokeDex. The more Pokemon you catch, the more you learn about them. Catching only one per area would limit that knowledge, and you'd be going in blind for most of (if not all) of the journey.

But then...Hilbert probably _liked_ it like that _._ They had known each other for _years_ now, and Hilbert almost always left things to luck or chance. He was a risk-taker to the very end, to the point where anyone would be concerned about how he would fare as a trainer. Sure, Hilbert's mother was renowned for being a Champion in another region, but that didn't necessarily mean that _he_ would be as skilled. And even if he was, would that be enough to carry him through should his luck run out?

Perhaps that's why he made the bet with Hilbert. By limiting his choice of what Pokemon he could catch, hopefully Hilbert would be able to really _think_ about his choices and actually make decisions from there. 

Cheren had to admit, though...as idiotic as making the bet was, it was _nice_ having someone to call a rival. Even if all they could do was compare notes about who caught what in which area, it was one more thing for them to compete over (so to speak). 

Until they confronted Team Plasma in Wellspring Cave, Cheren didn't really think about who would win the bet. Since it was all luck, it could be anyone's game.

Even with the limited range of Pokemon that they could have caught at this point (elemental monkeys aside), the last thing Cheren expected Hilbert to switch into after his Patrat had been hit was a _Munna._ Weren't those rarer than most Pokemon in the Dreamyard?

Actually, maybe luck had nothing to do with this catch. Bianca had told him about what had happened in the Dreamyard, and while he didn't have a reason to think that she would be lying...he was there in Accumula Town too. Nobody would blame him if he was a little skeptical, right?

The skepticism was dashed when he saw that the story held up, especially since some of the Grunts they encountered in Wellspring Cave recognized Hilbert right away. One seemed to cover his face, which Cheren thought was strange until he noted Hilbert making a show of cracking his knuckles.

In any other situation, Cheren would have given Hilbert a good talking-to for resorting to violence (again). But according to Bianca, he had done it as a response to seeing that Grunt kick the Munna. So, he supposed he could let it slide this time.

Besides, they had to work together now. They had to be in sync if they wanted to take these Grunts down, and nitpicking about Hilbert's actions this time wouldn't do any good.

* * *

Hilbert thought it would be an easy catch. After the Team Plasma battle, he told Cheren to go on ahead while he made his catch here.

It turned out to be a rather tough Woobat. It broke out of the PokeBall and then attacked Jay with a Confusion. Dammit - and he didn't get a chance to heal her before the Woobat attacked! He tossed a Great Ball the Woobat's way as he made his way over to his battered Patrat.

Hibert barely heard the soft _click_ in the background as he tried to heal Jay, but to no avail. She wasn't even moving.

Maybe it was a good thing Cheren or Bianca weren't here. What would they have to say about this? 

* * *

It was only after they gave Jay a proper burial that Hilbert realized that he managed to catch the Woobat.

And really...he didn't know how to feel about it. Sure, he killed Jay...that would probably always hurt. But wild Pokemon were like that - they always struck to kill. Casualties were part of being a trainer, but nothing could have prepared him for it. 

While he may have caught Woobat, it wouldn't do anything to replace Jay. 

To Woobat's credit, he did seem a bit remorseful about Jay's death. At least, he did a good job of hiding it; apparently he just wanted some peace and quiet. He seemed to have that in common with Roger. 

* * *

After what happened to Jay, Hilbert didn't want to risk any more deaths due to wild Pokemon. Casualties were part of being a trainer, and nobody is ever really prepared for the first time it happened. Really, Hilbert's decision to try to involve his Pokemon in wild captures as little as possible was understandable.

His decision to just toss PokeBalls at the Blitzle he saw, though? Not so much.

Merlot helped a little when the Blitzle got spooked and fought back, but in the end Hilbert caught it. Actually, Merlot helped a _lot_ when it came to the newly-dubbed Matt. The Electric-type seemed to be so _shy!_ It may take a while for him to warm up to Hilbert and the rest of the team. Which left Hilbert at a loss; while he couldn't profess himself to be the best there ever was, he liked making sure his Pokemon were comfortable. If he was only able to catch one per area, he may as well try to get them to trust him.

Wait...did he hear something about how walking with Pokemon helps strengthen a bond with them? Maybe he could try it for Matt. 

So, he let Matt out of his PokeBall. As the Blitzle looked around with a confused expression, Hilbert gave him a small smile. He wasn't patient or gentle like Bianca was, but he was willing to give it a shot so that Matt could feel comfortable. 

"Heya, Matt. Wanna go walking with me?"

* * *

Let's move away from Hilbert for a moment, and focus on the newest addition to the team.

Blitzle was more than a little perplexed at the sudden change of circumstance. One moment he was peacefully grazing on the grass, the next he had been captured! Not that he really minded - he had always sort of wanted a kind trainer - but he didn't really know what to make of Hilbert at a first glance. He was excited to have him in the team, sure...but would that be the case as time went on? Blitzle never thought of himself as being 'trainer-worthy,' so to speak. His timid nature blessed him with the speed and agility to get out of danger if he needed to, but it made approaching traveling trainers _painfully_ hard.

Besides all that, he wasn't quite used to the name 'Matt' just yet. Blitzle wasn't too worried about that, though - perhaps he would just get used to it with enough time.

The rest of the group was an odd bunch, but Blitzle supposed he should have expected that from a trainer. A spunky Oshawott and a serious Pansear. A Lillipup and a Woobat, both of them equally carefree. And then there was the Munna. Munna seemed to adopt the name 'Merlot' like it was a part of him already. Blitzle would be lying if he said he wasn't a little jealous about that. 

Good thing the Munna had agreed to walk (well, float) alongside them. And it was nice of Hilbert to think f traveling like this, but Blitzle grew more curious as they walked. There were a few other wild Pokemon that they had encountered, but Hilbert always had Blitzle or another member of his party fight them. He never caught another one in the area.

Was Blitzle to be the only Pokemon Hilbert caught in the area? There were plenty of other Pokemon, most of which would be infinitely better than him as a partner. Why would anyone want a shy thing like him?

 _"Um...Merlot. Right?"_ he questioned as they walked together. When Merlot glanced over, Blitzle continued, _"Hilbert seems nice, but c-could you tell me more about him? I thought trainers...I thought they would want to catch every Pokemon they see. Is that, um...not the case?"_

 _"Not with Hilbert, at least,"_ Merlot responded. _"He made a wager with a friend of his. Within the rules of that wager, Hilbert can only catch the first Pokemon he encounters in a new area. In this route, that was you."_

 _"Only the first?"_ That was...interesting news indeed. So...it was by chance that Hilbert caught Blitzle? It was a 'right place at the right time' scenario? It made Blitzle a little happy to know he was that lucky, but it also made him a little sad. Because...that meant there was a chance that Blitzle _wasn't_ what Hilbert wanted from the area, didn't it? It was possible, right? 

Merlot seemed to have read his mind, because he continued, _"Don't worry, Hilbert already loves you. He's really excited to have found you; I can tell you that he was hoping to catch a Blitzle here. So when you came along, it made his day."_

_"I-It did?"_

That really made Blitzle think. Oshawott (no...Michelle, right?) seemed to be hesitant to accept Matt into the team - apparently they had lost a friend just before finding him. While Blitzle was a little scared that he'd meet the same fate, he weighed his options. He had always wanted a nice trainer - someone to encourage him and help him get stronger. Blitzle's timidity did make it hard to approach trainers, but that rule Hilbert had seemed to make it easy to help accomplish that dream. And Hilbert, for all his enthusiasm and shouting, did seem like a nice trainer. He wouldn't have offered to walk with Blitzle in the first place if he wasn't, right?

So, when the strange green-haired human challenged Hilbert to a battle, Matt did his best. He might not be the strongest addition to his team, but he wanted to _try._ Talking to Merlot really helped him out - at first he was so uncertain that Hilbert would really want him around, but now he was certain that he'd find a spot on the team. Even if he didn't, just the chance to see the world and be with someone nice...that was more than enough for him. 

* * *

**New Additions**

Kirby / Woobat / Male / Lax / Somewhat vain / Unaware / Met in Wellspring Cave 

Matt / Blitzle / Male / Timid / Mischievous / Motor Drive / Met in Route 3

* * *

**R.I.P**

Jay the Patrat 

(lvl 4 - lvl 12)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell....that I love timid Blitzles.....


	4. Picture the Possibility

* * *

As Hilbert entered the grass just outside Pinwheel Forest, he found himself praying that he would find a Fighting type. While Michelle could learn Rock Smash, that didn't mean he was completely at ease going into the Gym. He had heard so many horror stories about Lenora's Watchog, and wanted to be _absolutely prepared._

As luck would have it, the very first Pokemon he saw was a Timburr. 

The ensuing encounter was a little too close for comfort - Timburr were strong Pokemon as it was, but it nearly killed Michelle! Thankfully Merlot was there to pacify the Timburr with Yawn before Hilbert made the capture. 

The Timburr (from then on named Gabriel) had a bit of a naughty streak, but Hilbert knew how to work around that - for some reason, mentioning the Nacrene City Gym always seemed to light a fire in the little guy. 

* * *

Gabriel got to do just that, knocking out a Gym Trainer's Pokemon with relative ease. He had been looking a little worse for wear after the first fight, so Hilbert had sent Zero out to battle for the second. He needed the experience, after all. And besides, Zero didn't seem willing to let Gabriel have all the fun - he seemed just as adamant on training as Gabriel was.

Looking back on it, Hilbert wouldn't have been able to tell what exactly happened - he knew that the Gym Trainer hadn't told Herdier to work itself up. She had used an X Defend, which gave Zero the opportunity to use Incinerate. Then Herdier used Tackle, and sent Zero flying. Anyone with eyes could have been able to tell that Herdier's attack was a critical hit - there was no way a mere Tackle would have that much force otherwise. 

Gabriel had come out to confront Herdier while Hilbert tried to heal his Pansear. The keyword here was tried - it was similar to how he couldn't heal Jay, just before she...

...

Gabriel may have taken out the Herdier with ease, but Hilbert needed some time before moving on. Thankfully the option was there - Trainers can fall back to stock up on supplies (or grieve a sudden loss) and return whenever it was needed. And Hilbert definitely needed some time. 

* * *

An ordinary stone, the director had called it. Found near the desert, and all that they knew about it was that it was old. Other than that, and the fact that it was pretty to look at, there wasn’t a much of reason for it to be in the museum in the first place.

The first time he saw it, Hilbert accepted the explanation and moved on. Maybe he saw a glimmer of _something_ there, but he passed it up as a trick of the light and moved into the next gym as easily as he did the last.

This time, however…he wasn’t sure. He still had yet to face Lenora, but after Zero's death he figured it couldn’t hurt take a break here before training a little more. 

Passing by the white stone again…his head felt oddly warm. Like _something_ was trying to reach into his mind. It felt like those moments where his mother would search Hilbert’s face for any trace of mischief - someone (or something) seemed to be studying him.

What’s more, he could have _sworn_ he heard something - he almost didn’t catch it, it was so faint. But maybe, just maybe, he heard a soft whisper of, ~~_‘Not yet.’_~~

Nobody else seemed to notice the odd phenomena- not even Michelle, who had been perched on Hilbert’s shoulder when he suddenly stopped. She poked him once, twice on the cheek, making a questioning noise.

That finally brought him back to reality, and he glanced over at his starter with a small smile.

“Huh? Oh, uh…I don’t know. Sorry, I must’ve spaced out.” Maybe he needed to go back to the Pokemon Center and lie down a bit before going back into training.

~~To the surprise of nobody that knew him, that's exactly what Hilbert _didn't_ do.~~

* * *

To his credit, Hilbert didn't challenge Lenora right after that odd moment - he trained his Pokemon for a few more hours, and only challenged Lenora after Michelle and Roger had evolved. 

And it seemed like a good idea - Gabriel and Roger had to work together to take down Lenora's Herdier (Hilbert had sent Roger out first in case Lenora's Watchog had Intimidate, and switched into Gabriel the first chance he could), but then Watchog came into the scene. Hilbert knew that Gabriel's defenses weren't the best, and he also knew that Michelle had decent enough defenses. So, he sent her out to take on Watchog. 

It was a decision he would soon come to regret. Watchog immediately used Retaliate, knocking Michelle right into the wall. For a few moments, everything was quiet. Michelle didn't seem to be moving, and Hilbert feared the worst. Of course he didn't want to lose another Pokemon after losing Zero, but the fact that this was his starter made him worry. 

It happened so fast - a shell suddenly came flying at Watchog. It hit the Normal type on the arm and, like a boomerang, flew right back to the one that tossed it. And there was Michelle, beaten up and ruffled from the blow, but somehow still standing. She caught the shell and trudged her way back into the battlefield, determined as ever to win. 

_"Michelle!"_ Hilbert shouted, rushing right over to her to give her a Fresh Water. Lenora watched the scene quietly, as if trying to figure out what had happened. Retaliate had doubled in strength after Herdier had fainted, a blow that _should_ have taken the Dewott down. While Lenora wasn't exactly proud of the reputation she had gained due to this strategy, it served very well in teaching young trainers how important it is to be prepared in a battle. If a trainer wasn't prepared, Watchog's Retaliate could very well be a fatal blow to some poor Pokemon...unless they were lucky.

While Hilbert didn't seem _completely_ unprepared, it was clear that he and Michelle were caught off-guard by Retaliate. So how...?

Then she remembered - didn't someone in the Kalos region claim that something like this could happen? Even if the blow would have otherwise been a mortal one, the Pokemon will push through and cling to life if there was a strong enough bond between Pokemon and trainer. Could that be the case here? What was the phrase...'living on one'? If that was the case, then that meant Hilbert and Michelle had a strong enough bond for her to accomplish that already. 

She had a feeling that those two were going to make it far, but they would have to earn her badge first. 

* * *

Hilbert had promised himself (and his entire team) that he would get some rest after winning the Basic Badge. He had a pretty eventful day, all things considered, so he figured it would have been best to get the Gym battle out of the way before doing that. 

The problem was, Hilbert had no opportunity to rest. Immediately after he won the Badge, Hawes had rushed in to say that Team Plasma had stolen one of the museum's exhibits. One thing led to another, and Hilbert found himself _not_ resting in the Pokemon Center, but traversing through a bug-infested Pinwheel Forest in hot pursuit of the thieves. 

One important thing to remember about Hilbert is his aversion to said bugs. 

He never really had an explanation for why he disliked bug-types, he just did. It was like a fact of life; the sky is blue, the grass is green, and Hilbert didn't like bug-types. 

As he made his way through Pinwheel Forest, it crossed his mind that he may have to find _some_ way to deal with this aversion sooner or later. If not now, then definitely in the future. Seeing as the bet was as limiting as it was, he couldn't deny the possibility of it happening.

Victini would spare Hilbert for this one time at least, because the first Pokemon he saw inside the forest was a Pidove. 

It nearly gave him a heart attack with how she seemed to appear so suddenly, but he was able to make the capture easily enough. It was only after he caught her that he was struck with an idea - was it possible that Turtle could lead him through the forest? Burgh had said that the path was surprisingly straightforward, but he didn't want to risk anything.

So after he let Turtle out, he explained, "Hey, I'm actually looking for some suspicious people. Think you can show me around so I can find them?" 

Turtle nodded and took off, with Hilbert following her. As he did, he made a mental note to keep her in the team for now - after all, Burgh's Gym was full of bugs. Better to be very, _very_ prepared for that Gym.

* * *

**New Additions**

Gabriel / Timburr / Male / Naughty / Often dozes off / Guts

Turtle / Pidove / Female / Lonely / Often lost in thought / Super Luck

* * *

**R.I.P**

Zero the Pansear   
(lvl 10 - lvl 15)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Michelle literally lived Watchog's Retaliate on 1 HP like an actual badass.


	5. Neon and Chrome

* * *

Thankfully, it didn't take Hilbert _too_ long to catch up to the Plasma Grunts. Turtle's guidance really helped out, and she proved to be a pretty efficient battler too. Merlot had helped out some too, knocking out any of the Grunt's Pokemon that weren't Dark-types. 

Merlot had defeated the final Grunt's Patrat, and the Grunt started to seethe. 

"Alright, fine! You want the skull so badly, you can have it!" With that, he all but shoved the Skull into Hilbert's hands, causing him to wobble and nearly lose his balance from the force. Thankfully he kept his balance, and once he caught his breath he shot the Grunt a dirty look.

"Hey, what the hell! If you had broken this-!" 

"It doesn't matter! If our king's dream - if _our_ dream - doesn't come true-!"

It was then that both heard the distinct sound of someone clearing their throat. The sound had come from behind Hilbert, so he turned around to find someone in rather tacky robes. Instantly, he was reminded of Accumula Town. Was he there, or did the guy's robes just remind him of that speaker? 

The robed man seemed to ignore Hilbert completely, walking past him to greet the Grunt. "Fellow subject of our king, how are you faring?"

The Grunt seemed to straighten up and bow immediately. "Gorm of the Seven Sages! I'm sorry to inform you - the skull, which we worked so hard to steal, has been taken from us so easily.

It was only then that Gorm seemed to acknowledge Hilbert - but perhaps it was more accurate to say that he acknowledged the skull in his arms. 

"I see...I simply came to tell you that it's not important. We can afford to leave the Dragon Skull," the leader stated. "Our research has revealed that it is not connected to the legendary Pokemon whatsoever."

For a minute, the Grunt seemed to deflate in relief. Then he straightened up again and asked, "But my lord...what about the trainer? If the description I was given is correct, this same trainer has interfered with our plans before."

Gorm spared a moment to glance at the Grunt before turning his attention back to Hilbert. "Is that so...well, we can't allow anyone to interfere and get away with it. I'm sure we can fix it so that he never interferes again."

Before Hilbert could respond - he heard another voice behind him. "Oh, there you are! The bug-types were getting riled up, so I came. And just in time too, from the look of things!" 

It was Burgh! And he had come from the log behind Hilbert.....which meant-!

 _He went the long way anyway!_ Hilbert realized with a twitch. _What the hell!_

Before Hilbert could voice his displeasure, Lenora had come along too. "Hilbert! Burgh! The others didn't have it. And is this guy the big boss?"

Gorm shook his head. "I am one of the Seven Sages of Team Plasma. Ghetsis will liberate Pokemon with words alone, while the rest of the Sages have ordered their comrades to take Pokemon by force. But since the odds are against us now..."

He took a moment to glance between Hilbert and the two Gym Leaders before continuing his monologue. Honestly, Hilbert wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to what he was saying - something about knowing yourself and knowing your opponents? And how Team Plasma was willing to steal Pokemon from Trainers. Hilbert couldn't really listen if he wanted to - the Dragon Skull was heavy, and he felt like it was in his best interest to not drop the thing.

Soon enough, Gorm and the Grunt ran off.

"Geez, they're quick," Lenora muttered, glancing at Burgh. "What are you gonna do? Are you going to chase after them?"

"Well, we got the skull back. I say our job is done for now," Burgh responded, glancing over at Hilbert (who had enlisted Merlot's help to keep from dropping the Dragon Skull - this thing was heavy!). "I think I'll head back to Castelia City. I'm looking forward to your challenge, Hilbert!" 

Lenora went over and carefully took the skull from Hilbert's grasp. After taking a moment to look it over, she beamed at him. 

"Thanks for your help, Hilbert. I'm sure your Pokemon are happy with you. Here, take this as a token of my gratitude." 

She dug into her pocket to take out a grayish-black stone. It took a few moments for Hilbert to recognize it. 

"Is that a Moon Stone?" 

"You got good eyes! Your Munna might want to make use of that in the future." 

Hilbert glanced over at Merlot, who had been eyeing the stone in his hands with interest. While he probably wasn't ready to evolve just yet, it would definitely be beneficial to keep it in his bag. 

"Well, I'm gonna take this back to the museum. Take care of yourself!" 

* * *

Bianca's Munna had been stolen, and Merlot was _furious._

Hilbert didn't know the Munna for that long, but he knew enough to tell that it was very uncharacteristic for the Munna to just float off in the direction where they heard that a Team Plasma Grunt had gone. He was usually a little more picky when it comes to taking action.

"Merlot, wait up!" The movement was so sudden that Hilbert chased after Merlot without returning the rest of his team to their PokeBalls. So, the citizens of Castelia City were treated to the sight of four trainers (two of them Gym Leaders) and five Pokemon chasing after a single Munna that looked _ready for war_. 

As he chased his Munna, Hilbert had come to realize two things.

The first was that the Munna had taken a shine to Bianca (the same one that those Plasma Grunts had abused) was _most likely_ his sister. Iris had said as much as they ran; "Well, if a Pokemon reacts that strongly to hearing about another of the same species in danger, it's usually because they're siblings! Merlot's just being a good brother!"

The second was that Merlot was _terrifying_ when he's mad. And maybe just a _little_ reckless. The Plasma Grunt they had encountered had two Sandiles on his team, so Merlot couldn't do anything against them. That duty fell to Michelle, once she was able to catch up and use Razor Shell on them. 

...That battle was rather short, so they were able to find out where they had been hiding rather quickly.

* * *

Iris' theory about Merlot turned out to be right - when Bianca's Munna had been returned to her, Merlot went right into checking up on her and making sure she was unharmed. The two Munnas seemed so relieved to see each other, especially Merlot. He seemed super happy that things turned out the way they did.

The sight warmed Hilbert's heart, honestly. Really, he could see why Merlot was so adamant on taking charge to see his sister safe; he probably would have done the same thing. Still, what that Ghetsis guy said before ordering the Grunts to release Bianca's Munna gave him pause. He said something about a black dragon Pokemon that chose heroes who are seeking the ideal way to bring the region together. 

Didn't N say something like that? It was hard to forget him mentioning Zekrom all the way back in Nacrene. Unless, Zekrom was the white dragon in the legend? 

Wait, no...he knew that there were _two_ dragons in the legend. Weren't there? Which was the black dragon, and which was the white...?

Maybe he should ask Cheren about that. He probably knew more about this than he did. 

And anyway, worrying about this was only going to prolong the inevitable...he still had to face Castelia's Gym. However, he didn't want to do that before making some new captures - he knew there were Darumaka in the area, and he really wanted to up his chances of getting through the Gym as fast as possible.

* * *

Hilbert thanked every one of his lucky stars when he tripped over a Darumaka shortly after going into the sands of Route 4.

As he got a chance to know Peter, he found that the Darumaka was a shy little guy - not nearly as shy as Matt, but definitely not a boastful type either. Hilbert could have _sworn_ that the Darumaka was blushing as he saw Hilbert's excitement upon catching a Darumaka, at least. Bashful-natured, maybe?

The little guy did have a big appetite, though - he ate almost every one of the little pastries Hilbert had in his bag! He had those in case he or any of his Pokemon were hungry, and he had enough to last for the next few days.

Roger wasn't happy about the development; the Herdier moped and pouted once he heard the news. The rest of the team seemed to handle the situation with stride, though. 

As they started to train, Hilbert could only hope that Peter's attacking strength was as large as his appetite. He would have to find out as they went on - he may have caught a Darumaka, but while they were in the area...it couldn't hurt to check out the Desert Resort, right?

~~Hopefully a Sigilyph, because another flying type.~~

~~Hilbert _really_ wanted to make sure all his bases were covered. A Pidove and a Darumaka were only two Pokemon - what if they weren't enough to completely speedrun the Gym??~~

* * *

It didn’t take Hilbert very long to decide that he didn’t like the desert. Going to the beach was one thing, but this place was in a perpetual sandstorm. Add that to the fact that there was no speck of water anywhere and you have a frustrated Hilbert. It crossed his mind that he might want to head to Relic Castle while he was here - if only because he probably never would go back if he could help it.

Was he even going to find anything in this sand? He wasn’t sure - to keep the sand from getting into his eyes, he had to hold his arm up to his face. He still couldn’t see the something he tripped over. The object in this case didn’t quite matter - he found himself rolling down a hill of sand, only stopping once he reached the bottom. 

As he tried to recover and made sure that sand hadn’t gotten into his eyes, he heard someone saying, “That was funny! Do it again!” 

He looked around once he set himself up, trying to look for the voice. He did hear a voice, right? He wasn't having a mirage already, _right?_ There wasn’t a human nearby, which already had him worrying.

There _was_ a Maractus, though. Hilbert knew that they were fairly rare here. But, maybe it had seen someone passing by? It wasn’t like it had actually said that, right?

He dusted himself off and faced the Grass-type. “Hey, there. Have you seen anyone else around here?”

Maractus shook her head. This puzzled Hilbert. “Are you pulling my leg? I know I heard someone say something just now. Unless you want me to think _you’re_ the one that said it.”

There isn’t much to expect when a Pokemon opens their mouth - other than eating and repeated cries of their respective names, anyway. Hilbert had been expecting some kind of ‘Maractus, ma!’ as a response to his question, and maybe laughter because _what a stupid question._

What he _didn’t_ expect when the Maractus opened her mouth was _actual words_ : “Actually, that’s _exactly_ who said it!” 

Hilbert must have jumped at least two feet in the air. 

“Y-You can talk?!” he shrieked, before the realization hit. This has to be a mirage. Yeah, a mirage! There could literally be no other explanation for seeing a talking Maractus (of all things, _a Maractus!!_ ). Maybe he needed to lie down on this soft bed ~~(of sand)~~ and think things over. 

He did just that, and closed his eyes. Moments later, he could hear something rustling through his bag, and then felt something _cold_ splash onto his face. 

Hilbert jolted into a sitting position, and his flailing was met with several giggles. The Maractus was holding an empty bottle of Fresh Water. That explains the cold splash. ~~At least that came with the realization that he still had those.~~

“You're really funny!" And the Maractus was still talking. So, either this was real or this mirage was _really_ something else. He’d take either at this point, but he just wanted to get _out_ of here.

“Well…I don’t often meet Pokemon that can actually…you know, _talk._ ”

“Oh, that? I learned how through sing-songs!”

“Sing…songs? Like, music?”

“Yeah! Singing songs!”

“But…we’re in a desert. How do you have access to music?”

That question was met with _silence._ The smile stayed on the Maractus’ face as she said nothing.

During the silence, Maractus seemed to notice the PokeBalls on his belt and she instantly brightened.

“Ooh! Are you a trainer?!” 

This was getting more confusing by the minute. “Uh…yeah, I am.”

“Can I come with you? This desert’s really boring, and you’re funny!” 

Hilbert was _floored._ She wanted to go with him? Well…that was an interesting development. He didn’t see a downside; if she was able to talk, would that mean she could translate things between him and his Pokemon? He was so curious about this! 

“Uh…sure, I think I have something here-”

The Maractus cheered (even dancing around in place in her joy), and then stopped. She seems to have remembered something. 

“Wait, wait! Don’t catch me yet!”

“You ask to come with me, and then tell me not to catch you? Make up your mind.”

“I said not _yet!_ I got a friend in that castle over there that I want you to meet! I want him to come along!” 

Well…that would be a predicament. He was planning on going to Relic Castle anyway, but what if this friend of hers wasn’t the first encounter he had? Could he afford to make a misstep in the bet just to ensure that their friendship stay intact? 

“Well…we’ll look, but I don’t-” The Maractus cheered again, grabbing Hilbert by the hand and leading him over to the Relic Castle. As she did, Hilbert could only watch as she kept talking; about what kind of music she liked _("I really liked this one song-story about some lady called Carmen, you can call me that!")_ , how her friend usually lived in the first floor of the castle, and how much fun they were all going to have. 

* * *

**New Captures**

Peter / Darumaka / Male / Bashful / Loves to eat / Hustle / Met in Route 4

Carmen / Maractus / Female / Bold / Strong willed / Chlorophyll / Met in the Desert Resort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh I've been writing Carmen out a lot already and I love her so much. I hope you guys love her as much as I do. xD


	6. Open Your Mouth and Sing

* * *

"Your name's Heal Bell? That's a funny name!"

"You're close. It's Hilbert."

"Oh...so it's Hill Beard?"

"Hilbert."

"Hell Bit?"

_"Hilbert."_

"Halberd?"

_"HIL. BERT."_

"Ohhhh, I get it now! Hill Bird!!" 

This is how Carmen would be pronouncing Hilbert's name for quite a while.

* * *

As Carmen and Hilbert entered Relic Castle, Hilbert decided to hang around the entrance. While he wasn't about to break the rules of the bet, maybe they could find Carmen's friend faster if he just stood still. Apparently her friend lived on the first floor anyway, which hopefully meant he could be the first. That would definitely be ideal - he really wanted to avoid an argument with _an actual talking cactus_ about why he couldn't catch her friend.

Carmen noticed Hilbert lagging behind and asked, "Hey, why are you standin' over there?"

"I'm thinking it'll be easier like this. It's a long story." 

Carmen seemed to accept that answer and took a deep breath. "HEEEY JUDE! I FOUND A GUY! WHERE ARE YOU, FRIEND? COME ON, LET'S GET OUTTA HERE~!" 

Hilbert sat down as Carmen called for her friend. It was unbelievable enough that she could talk, but apparently she could sing? _Was_ that singing? 

He wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, so he was caught very off-guard when he felt what seemed like _claws_ scraping against his leg.

"Ow!" He looked down at what had scratched him and _almost_ regretted it.

It was a Sandile, and it couldn't have been any larger than Hilbert's forearm. Were Sandiles _always_ this small, or was this one a baby? If it was the latter, he was _screwed_ unless this happened to be Carmen's friend. He didn't know a whole lot about baby Pokemon, but he did know that they imprint on the first living thing they see on hatching. Which would be worse, denying Carmen a chance to travel with her friend or depriving a newly-hatched Pokemon of its mother-figure?

Thankfully, Hilbert's inner crisis didn't last long. Carmen had heard Hilbert's yelp and turned around. Once she saw what the cause of the ruckus was - more notably, the Sandile trying his damndest to climb onto Hilbert's leg - she let out a sigh and hopped over.

" _There_ you are! I didn't think you'd hang by the entrance today!" 

Looks like this _was_ Carmen's friend. At least there was that. 

Sandile managed to hoist himself up onto Hilbert's leg and got a good look at him. He glanced over at Carmen and said, _"I could hear you shoutin' from outside. This the trainer?"_

"Yup!" Carmen chirped. "I dunno what his other Pokemon are like, but he's _really_ funny!"

 _"Trust you to judge a human based on how funny they are,"_ Sandile sighed. He looked Hilbert over again and gave a short nod. _"Still, he seems good enough. Better than staying in this stuffy castle the rest of my life."_

Being privy to only _one_ side of the conversation between them, Hilbert just sat there awkwardly. 

Maybe five minutes passed with them conversing before Carmen _finally_ gave Hilbert the okay to officially catch them. 

Since he had a full party, they were both sent to the PC, leaving Hilbert sitting there and trying to process the events of the past half hour.

One thing's for sure, his journey _probably_ just got a whole lot more interesting.

* * *

Hilbert was not a happy camper. 

While it was awesome that he was able to befriend a talking Maractus _and_ make sure that she and her friend would stay together, neither of them would help in his venture to basically speed-run the Castelia Gym.

Thankfully, it turned out he didn't need anyone more than Turtle and Peter - the two basically dominated the Gym, allowing him to basically speedrun the Gym with few issues. There was the occasional Dwebble, but Michelle was always sent out against those.

This was a chain of events that had Hilbert thanking every one of his lucky stars. The sooner he got this Gym over with, the better.

The honey was a pain to wash off, though.

And, hey...catching a Grass type _and_ a Ground type meant that he was more prepared for the next Gym! He didn't get a chance to properly meet Carmen and Jude anyway, so this was just about as good an opportunity as any.

* * *

It didn't take very long for Hilbert to conclude that Carmen and Jude were just about the _strangest_ duo he had ever come across.

And honestly, the strangest thing about the whole thing was how well they seemed to complement one another. 

Carmen was loud and never hesitated to ask questions. She was almost like a child in that respect (which was fair, given that she lived in a _desert_ her whole life), but nobody can deny that she was pretty strong-willed. She would probably have to be if she was able to teach herself how to talk, right?

On the contrary, Jude was about as chill as Roger and Kirby. Hilbert thought that nothing would faze him, but he was proven wrong when a trainer they had been fighting commented on how small he was. That set him off instantly, and he proceeded to sweep the opponent's whole team. 

Hilbert had no idea why that was what set Jude off, but to be fair...he initially thought Jude was a baby when they first met. Maybe it was something he had been made fun of for in the wild?

When he asked Carmen, she shook her head. "M' not supposed to say. I promised Jude I wouldn't."

That was fair, he supposed. Hilbert didn't think much of it; as small as he was, he was also fast and surprisingly strong. He'd be a solid member of the team with just a little bit of training, Hilbert concluded.

* * *

It was unbelievably rare for a Pokemon to be able to learn to talk (some have argued that it's just as rare - if not rarer than - finding a shiny in the wild), and Hilbert quickly learned that walking with a talking Pokemon was a surefire way to get attention. And it never failed to surprise people, too.

It was after their battle in Route 4 that Hilbert got the idea to introduce Carmen to Cheren. Mostly because it would be hilarious watching the look on his face. If Hilbert thought she was a mirage when they met, how would Cheren respond?

Cheren didn't disappoint; when Carmen cheerfully greeted Cheren and introduced herself, Cheren's jaw dropped. If this were a cartoon, Hilbert was sure that his eyes would have popped out of his glasses.

"You found a Pokemon that can talk?!"

"Yup! Although I guess technically, she found me." 

"And she was seriously your first encounter??"

"Yup! Not like I could see much with the sand getting in my eyes!"

A moment of silence passed as Cheren processed this information. During the silence, Carmen had watched the exchange and decided to speak up again.

"So...I never got your name, Hill Bird's Friend! Tell me, tell me!" 

"Uh...Cheren."

"So, it's Cherry? Like the berry?"

"What? No!"

Hilbert tried very hard not to laugh as Cheren went through the same name-mangling as Hilbert had undergone. It was hard, though - Hilbert used to call him that too.

* * *

**New Captures**

Jude / Sandile / Male / Lax / Likes to thrash about / Moxie / Met in Relic Castle


End file.
